400,000 Volkswagen cars in Britain need engine mending

Automaker Volkswagen says it's replacing the head of its US division, which has struggled to reach sales goals. (AFP)LONDON: Volkswagen's British managing director Paul Willis has said about 400,000 Volkswagencars in Britain will need changes to their fuel injection system.

He apologized before the Commons Transport select committee over the diesel emissions scandal on Monday, reported Xinhua news agency.

Close to 1.2 million British vehicles had been affected but the remaining two thirds would only need software altered, he said.

He said that recalls of British vehicles would start in the first quarter of 2016. But he conceded there was "some risk" that a target of doing all the work by the end of next year would be missed.

Owners of these vehicles would be given a loan car during the recall process if they might feel inconvenienced by not having a vehicle, he added.

Prices of most SUVs were cut between Rs 1.1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh following the implementation of GST, which subsumed over a dozen central and state levies like excise duty, service tax, and VAT from July 1.